Thankful For Our Wedding Couples ~

Without our amazing couples through the years, we wouldn't have received this great award for the 7th year in a row! Thank you!~

  

Love working with such great couples. The past year wouldn't have been the same without you! (snapshots from our workroom)

Dayna & Eric

Katherine & Zach

Sarah & Jeff

Amanda & Phil

Brittany & Jacob

Amy & Matt

Andrea & Christopher

Jessica & Conner

Kelsey & Kevin

Sarah & Brian

Victoria & Josh

Kelsey & Tim

Melissa & Chad

Laura & Jonathan

Callan & Dave

Grace & Matt

Jodi & Nate

It was such a pleasure being a part of your special day and I pray that your first year of marriage is going very, very well.  
God bless you all!~

Here's to a BEAUTIFUL 2016!~

New Years Day, 2016

Ours began with a Forrester Farm wedding flower delivery for a special couple and sighting a bald eagle on the way to the church!~  Does it mean something if our son, who was in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho also saw a bald eagle that day? What a gift!~

Our family had successfully avoided the mall for the majority of the holidays, but after making our flower delivery, teen girls really wanted an outing, so to the mall we went.  Barnes & Noble tends to be our meeting place if we happen to separate during mall time.  The girls had a great time, and I found some inspiration on the front cover of Victoria magazine for the brunch I was preparing for visiting friends the next day.

Rather than follow the recipe in the magazine, I used the recipe that our sweet intern from France had shared when she lived with us in 2010.

 Organic Hazelnut spread, I'm sure, makes all the difference in nutrient value :).

 Our sunroom where our treat was stored was a little chilly. The cake stand cover frosted naturally.

And, voila!~

 made with love

 with mostly all natural organic ingredients,

 including eggs from our own chickens...

Completely enjoyed with coffee. 

No leftovers remained!~

 Thankfully, there were a few "leftover" blooms from the new year wedding work and a few flower blossoms are gracing our bathroom, which will be receiving a complete makeover this year!~  Yes, here's to a BEAUTIFUL 2016!~

A Very Merry Christmas!~

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!~

It is our very first holiday season of being entrusted with this 101 year old building.

While still figuring out the ins and outs of the wiring, lighting, repairs needed and more, we couldn't let the season go by without adding a little holiday cheer...

Just love the details of the side doors and can't wait to paint them with fresh paint in the spring.

While working with some wonderfully talented local florists over the holidays, a co-designer and friend heard me discuss my budget conscience decorating ideas for the building this first season of ownership.  She created these fabulous boxwood wreaths for the front doors of the church!~  I love them and love her for making them for us!~

I'm pretty sure that these metal posts once held a connecting piece and signage. For now, I added box elder tree twigs to make an arch. I intended on adding greens and twinkle lights, but electric issues are complicating my lovely plans.

Perhaps next year, we will have wreaths complete with beautiful bows in the windows.... 

and a fancier light fixture above this stained glass window...

For now, I'm thankful for angels with bells in windows,

doors to paint fresh in the spring,

 

architecturally appealing designs, regardless of chipped paint...

jingle bells, pine cones and red berries on red doors...

Merry Christmas to all!~ 

May your holiday season be filled with true Hope, Joy and Peace.

A Special Holiday Event!~

I attended the sweetest event today 

at the Bailey & James Boutique. 

 The creative owner and her lovely assistant hosted A Very Blogger Christmas Open House, and it was fabulous!~ 

 

 Upon entering the boutique, one couldn't help but to notice the wonderful refreshments. After being greeted to the event and given a gift of A Mother's Nature Lavender lip balm, my friend and I were offered sangria. Yes, please!~  Oh my, is that a sprig of thyme in our glass? Love the added touch and the special straw (sorry, didn't get photos!~). After being served sangria, we were offered a candy cane which would give us a percent off all purchases for the day. There was one 40% off cane, and my friend was fortunate enough to draw it! (I received 20% off which was quite lovely as well).  And so we shopped, and this is just a bit of what we saw....

The adorable boutique is just one of many wonderful shops in Rockford, Michigan and if you are in the area, I highly recommend a visit. Upon leaving the shop, with bags in hand, we were handed one final gift, a ribbon bound foilage sprig which looks amazing on my dining room table.

For the next four days, the girls at Bailey and James Boutique are celebrating the 12 Days of a Mitten Crafted Christmas featuring local Michigan crafters. It's a great time to visit them, and a great time to enjoy the holiday in my hometown of Rockford!~